About Financial Planners
Financial Planners (or Financial Advisors) are professionals who help people and businesses with their broader financial goals. A financial planner will often be able to advise on matters such as:
- Money management strategies
- Growing wealth/income
- How to formulate a savings plan
- Debt repayment plans
- Retirement savings plans
- Investing/risk management
- Tax planning
- Estate planning
- Wills
Low- to high-income earners - can both benefit from the advice of financial planning professionals. There are many titles for the services offered in the field of financial planning, therefore it is wise to take some care in choosing whom to work with, and be sure that they have acquired certification and operate under regulatory guidelines. Some types of financial service providers are listed below.
- Customer Service Representatives can assist you to open bank accounts; providing credit card, loan and mortgage options and suggest savings plans such as savings bonds and GICs.
- Mutual Fund Representatives can help you to purchase the mutual funds carried by the financial institution they work for.
- Stock Brokers and Investment Representatives / Advisors can buy and sell various investment vehicles such as stocks, bonds, GICs, ETFs, mutual funds and other more complex investments.
- Financial Planners are neither a broker nor an advisor can assist with budgets, risk management, investments, taxes, retirement and estate planning.
- Insurance Advisors help plan and purchase insurance packages.
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Tips for choosing a planner:
- You have a right to ask if your financial service provider earns a commission on sales—you want to be sure that they will make unbiased decisions on what is best for your financial growth.
- Ask someone you know who is in admirable financial standing if they have a provider they would recommend
Low-income earners and Financial Planning Beginners - can get started by going to their bank. A bank's in-house financial planners can help you learn the ropes and often provide a few free visits. Products accessible by banks are not always as diverse as other providers’ can be, so you may want to ensure that the interest rates and offerings are the best you can get, and some banks will offer incentives to lure clients away from competing for banking institutions.
Higher-income earners - may have more advanced requirements to configure their cash flow, debt repayments and net worth. With more income comes a greater need for tax and estate planning and other specialty services that offset the fees incurred from higher-level financial planning services.
A professional can help you navigate your planning options and assist you to set up an investment portfolio when you are ready to begin growing wealth and/or long-term savings. It can take time to see the results of investment and these must be judged against market fluctuations that are beyond the control of even the most experienced financial planners and advisors. Check in on your investments from time to time and if you think the returns seem low compared to the market then it would be reasonable to question your advisor and / or seek the advice of a new one.
DIY or use a Professional?
There are so many ways to save and invest, countless specialized financial services and products available, and plenty of approaches and methods applied to money management that most people need to learn about the various stages of financial planning before they can make good decisions that will generate optimal results.
A professional can help you navigate your planning options and assist you to set up an investment portfolio when you are ready to begin growing wealth and/or long-term savings. It can take time to see the results of investment and these must be judged against market fluctuations that are beyond the control of even the most experienced financial planners and advisors. Check in on your investments from time to time and if you think the returns seem low compared to the market then it would be reasonable to question your advisor and / or seek the advice of a new one.
The decision to DIY requires research, an understanding of risk and success at choosing basic investments. Learning to spend wisely, save smart and invest successfully can take many years. If you're new to financial planning, long-term savings and investing, it would be wise to seek advice from your bank, another professional or a Robo-advisor until you've learned enough to take the reins yourself. You may choose to set up simultaneous accounts and watch both closely to see which performs better.
Find out more With These Articles
10 Questions to Ask a Prospective Financial Advisor
How to Find a Financial Planner